It is generally known that a photovoltaic device such as a P-I-N diode can be used to detect information encoded on an optical carrier. When a P-I-N diode is used to detect information encoded on an optical carrier, the P-I-N diode output is generally coupled to a plurality of amplifier and signal processing stages such as a low noise preamplifier and a linear channel amplifier. Such circuitry is expensive and may not enhance the information detecting capability of the P-I-N diode. In addition, when combined with such amplifier and signal processing stages, the P-I-N diode is not suitable for price sensitive mass market applications such as an interface between a standard television receiver and an optical fiber carrying a TV signal.
It is an object of the present invention to use a P-I-N diode to detect television signals encoded on an optical carrier without the use of complex amplification and other signal processing stages following the P-I-N diode.